Introduction
Registered nurses (RN) should use their skills to develop superior models for diagnosing and treating a wide range of health conditions affecting their patients. The concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) has emerged as a superior theory for improving the performance of clinicians and maximizing patients’ health outcomes. The selected topic for this research paper is The Role of Evidence-Based Practice in Supporting the Health Needs of Individuals at Risk of Diabetes, Stroke, Cancer, and Hypertension. This paper describes how an effective PICOT question can be used to deliver desirable health results in different populations.
PICOT/Practice Question
Question
For obese and overweight adults between 18 and 40 years (P), does the application or use of community recreation exercises/activities (I), compared to educational campaigns focusing on lifestyle changes (C), reduce the risk (O) for conditions such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and hypertension within two years (T)?
Discussions: EBP and Practice Question
Practitioners in the field of internal medicine are tasked with numerous responsibilities in an attempt to address their patients’ health needs. Dejonghe, Becker, Froboese, and Schaller (2017) argue that this field focuses on desirable approaches to prevent, treat, and diagnose numerous diseases affecting adults. If positive results are to be realized, registered nurses (RNs) must use evidence-based initiatives and concepts throughout their care delivery processes. The ultimate objective of EBP is to combine emerging scientific evidence with clinical knowledge to meet the needs of every patient (Payne & Steakley, 2015). The above practice question, therefore, focuses on the problem of obesity and how (why) it has become a risk factor for diseases such as stroke and cancer.
The EBP concept can offer meaningful insights and ideas for reducing the occurrence of these diseases. According to the model, the latest findings and studies have revealed that obesity and overweight have become lifestyle diseases that continue to claim the lives of many people. It is also evident that obesity can be addressed or managed using appropriate initiatives (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). In the recent past, campaigns and educational programs have been used to sensitize and encourage more people to eat healthy food materials and engage in exercises. Unfortunately, the obesity epidemic continues to complicate the lives of many citizens in the United States and across the world.
Meaningful ideas have been presented to dealing with this health problem such as the application of powerful initiatives to increase the number of people embrace positive behaviors (Payne & Steakley, 2015). For example, the problem of obesity can be minimized when more people engage in various exercises such as jogging (Dejonghe et al., 2017). Overweight individuals can reduce their BMIs significantly by walking for at least 50 minutes every day (Payne & Steakley, 2015). These insights can be embraced to deal with the epidemic and minimize the risks associated with cancer and hypertension.
Additionally, RNs must be keen to use their disease prevention and treatment competencies efficiently. For instance, they should design personalized care delivery and treatment plans to address the needs of every patient (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). The above PICOT question allows practitioners to combine their competencies with emerging ideas and concepts in the field of internal medicine. The approach can result in powerful and evidence-based interventions for supporting the health needs of obese or overweight persons.
The use of the EBP concept can be utilized to identify the number of obese people who report diseases such as cancer, stroke, and diabetes (Dejonghe et al., 2017). This information can then be used to develop powerful initiatives and introduce the right skills and competencies to treat, diagnose, and manage this health problem. Consequently, more obese adults in the targeted society should monitor their BMIs, engage in exercises, and come up with balanced diets for their respective families. These practices and initiatives are supported by emerging knowledge and ideas in fields such as nutrition, nursing, and medicine.
The above practice question will ensure that more obese adults are encouraged to engage in various exercises. Those who will embrace these evidence-based practices will be compared with the ones who rely on educational campaigns to monitor their BMIs. The use of the approach will empower obese and overweight persons to deal with conditions such as cancer and stroke (Dejonghe et al., 2017). As the practice question suggests, the strategy is aimed at delivering positive results within two years.
The insights and ideas received from different peers and the instructor have supported this practice question since it informed my emerging concepts in internal medicine. They were pleased because the question focused on a major issue that had been ignored by nutritionists, scholars, and health practitioners for many years. They acknowledged that the obesity epidemic had catalyzed numerous health problems such as hypertension. The use of EBP was supported since it could address this health problem.
Conclusion
Although the above discussion has focused on the problem of obesity, the agreeable fact is that EBP is a powerful tool for addressing a wide range of conditions affecting humanity. RNs should be prepared to use the EBP approach to identify and treat different diseases. This practice will empower more people to improve their medical outcomes and transform the country’s healthcare sector.
References
Dejonghe, L. A., Becker, J., Froboese, I., & Schaller, A. (2017). Long-term effectiveness of health coaching in rehabilitation and prevention: A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling, 100(9), 1643-1653. Web.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history and evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. Web.
Payne, R., & Steakley, B. (2015). Establishing a primary nursing model of care. Nursing Management, 46(12), 11-13. Web.